SEOUL, KOREA - “Korea will impress the world with its thoughtful K-technologies.”
On December 6, the Ministry of Knowledge Economy (MKE) and the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT) held an award ceremony to choose and honor Korea’s 10 best new technologies of 2012.
Handpicking Korea’s 10 best new technologies of 2012 is meaningful in that they have considerably revved up Korea’s future growth engines in the midst of economic downturns both inside and outside of Korea. Of the world’s first or top-notch new technologies and products that were developed by Korean companies in 2012, those deemed to have had a great economic impact were chosen as Korea’s 10 best new technologies of 2012.
Dr. Tae-Hee Woo (Director General for Technology Policy at MKE), said, “Six world-first technologies and four first-rate technologies in the world were selected as Korea’s 10 best new technologies of 2012. I hope these technologies will help Korea’s technologies spread to the rest of the world. In addition, Korea is determined to share its K-technologies with underdeveloped nations.”
Korea’s 10 best new technologies of 2012 came from a variety of sectors such as information and communications, mechanical and aerospace engineering, and biotechnology sectors. This year, excellent technologies developed by SMEs also made the list. Accordingly, plans have been drawn up to unearth more promising technology-armed SMEs and nurture them into large, established companies.
As of 2012, Korea’s R&D spending as a share of GDP is 4.2%, the second highest after Israel. The third spot is taken by Finland. However, the size of Korea’s R&D ranks 10th in the world. In terms of value, Korea’s R&D spending is the 10th largest in the world, but Korea ranks second in terms of the share of R&D spending in GDP.
Last year, Korea’s R&D spending as a percentage of GDP stood at KRW 50 trillion, ranking sixth behind the US, Germany, France, Japan and China. The Korean government contributed KRW 16 trillion to the total KRW 50 trillion R&D investments. By doing so, the Korean government has attempted to lay the foundation for brisk corporate R&D activities. Yet, the Korean government’s R&D investments have mainly flowed into companies that were already on a roll, perhaps giving SMEs the cold shoulder. Starting from 2013, the Korean government will factor in efficiency and the principle of equity to make sure that R&D funds are fairly distributed among companies, both large and small.
Korea’s 10 best new technologies of 2012
In the information and communications sector, Samsung Electronics’ GALAXY Note II and venture firm AQ Corporation’s multi-active tag data transaction technology with NFC (Near Field Communication) were chosen. In the electricity and electronics sector, Samsung Electronics’ OLED TV and LG Electronics’ 84-inch UHD TV have landed on the list. Samsung Electronics’ GALAXY Note II was highly rated on the grounds that it features a 141mm HD Super AMOLED screen providing breathtaking visuals and crystal clear detail. The GALAXY Note II, powered by Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, also comes with a mighty 1.6GHz Quad-Core processor and 4G LTE connectivity which deliver easy multitasking, lighting-fast screen transitions, powerful browser performance, and minimal app load time.
NFC specialist AQ Corporation unveiled the world’s first NFC multi-active tag data transaction technology that enables interactive advertising and content provision systems. AQ Corporation was credited with maximizing the marketability of NFC technology by upgrading the existing one-way NFC technology into two-way services.
In the mechanical and aerospace engineering sector, the selectees are high-efficiency, environment-friendly containership (18,330 TEU), developed by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. (DSME), and Resolution of 1m-class high resolution Earth observation Small satellite system (by Satrec Initiative Co.). On the biotechnology front, “New Drug Development of a new recombinant Factor VIII” (a cure for Hemophilia A developed by SK Chemicals) and “Zemiglo tablet – The new DDP-4 inhibitor for type 2 diabetes” by LG Life Sciences Co. made the cut.
DSME has fused eco-friendly technologies with mechanical and aerospace engineering. The 18,330 TEU’s waste heat recovery system is designed to use exhaust gas, generated by the main engine connecting to the shaft generator, as fuel instead of HFO/MDO in order to reduce the overall fuel consumption. Besides, the cradle-to-cradle passport system has been applied to identify each and every nut and bolt of the ship, therefore making enormously improved vessel recycling possible for most materials as well as safe disposal for the rest. Meanwhile, Satrec Initiative Co. has taken rank with conglomerates by successfully developing the world's first small commercial satellite, which weighs 300kg and provides 1m resolution images.
Also, NCD’s atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique for the surface passivation of high-efficiency c-Si solar cells was picked in the environment and energy sector, while TAC (Tri-Acetyl Cellulose) film for LCD by Hyosung Corporation earned a spot on the list in the materials and chemicals sector.
Korea poised to share its warm-hearted technologies with underdeveloped countries
The Korean government is planning to spur on its efforts to share K-technologies with underdeveloped nations next year. Korea simply wants to return the favor it received half a century ago by laying the groundwork for shared growth and co-prosperity. Korea, which rose from the ruins of the Korean War with the help of international aid, has become the only nation in the world that has transformed itself into an ODA provider from an ODA recipient.
Warm-hearted technologies refer to the technologies that underdeveloped nations badly need at the moment. The Korean government plans to identify what technology each underdeveloped nation needs and offer appropriate, nation-specific technological assistance. Director General Woo tried to explain warm-hearted K-technologies by citing his discovery that some Africans in certain areas were short in stature because they had to carry water jars from an early age.
The provision of water purifiers did not solve problems because some regions had no power supply. Thus, Korean technicians had to put their heads together to do something for such powerless regions. As a result, “the life straw,“ which has a simple filter attached to it, came about. When it comes to helping underdeveloped nations, country-specific, locally-applicable technologies have come in handy more often than Korea’s world-class or world-first technologies and products.
Director General Woo said, “First of all, we will contact NGOs to find out what kind of technology each underdeveloped nation badly demands and task government-backed R&D centers with the development of such technologies. Then Korean companies will take charge of the production and distribution of those technologies.” “We are moving forward with ODA projects in cooperation with Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), Doctor without Borders, Scientists without Borders, SK Happiness Foundation, etc. Indeed, high hopes are pinned on the future of warm-hearted K-technologies that will strike a chord with the world,” he added.
